Aristotle Onassis, legendary Greek shipowner
An acquaintance with the legendary Greek shipowner, who, through his business dealings and the opulent invitations on his luxurious superyacht Christina, had a significant influence on social life on the Côte d'Azur.
Edward Quinn
The Onassis story began for me in 1953, the day I was asked by TIME magazine to take a photo of a Greek who had bought a substantial block of shares in the Monte Carlo casino. My research led me to one Aristotle Onassis, the owner of a whaler that was anchored off Nice at the time. At the harbour, I managed to photograph a man whose appearance matched the description; however, it turned out that it was not Onassis, but one of his Greek business partners. He informed me that Onassis resided in the villa Château de la Croë –situated on the Cap d'Antibes.
The stately villa was enthroned in the middle of an extensive park right on the coast and was known as the retreat of the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson during their honeymoon - after he had renounced the English throne for her. A maître d'hôtel dressed all in white greeted me at the door; Onassis appeared shortly afterwards. With a smile, he listened to the reason for my visit and immediately replied: "I'm not a film star and don't want to see my likeness in the press." Nevertheless, he allowed me to take a look at his photo album and invited me to take any pictures of my choice – many of which showed a proud Onassis in front of his ships or tankers at their christening with a bottle of champagne. I replied that as a photographer I preferred to create my own images. Onassis just shrugged his shoulders and took his album back, and I left disappointed.
Coincidentally, on the same day I was invited for a drink with some other journalists in Spyros Skouras' room at the Hotel Negresco in Nice. Skouras was then head of the film company 20th Century Fox, and a French inventor, Professor Chretien, had just sold him his latest invention, the Cinemascope widescreen lens. In conversation with Skouras, I mentioned my meeting with his compatriot. At that moment, the phone rang and Skouras picked it up. With a smile on his face, he said into the phone: "Why don't you drop by?" A short time later, Onassis entered the room and was naturally surprised to see me. Skouras, in high spirits, said to Onassis: "You weren't very co-operative with our friend from the press. Come on, Ari, let's take a photo together." Onassis laughed and sat down somewhat reluctantly next to Skouras, who cleared away all the drinks (so as not to upset the American Temperance Society). This was my first press photo of Onassis – probably also the first to show him to the public.
I had the privilege of taking many exclusive pictures of him with his wife Tina and their children Alexander and Christina at the Château de la Croë and on the yacht. Tina Onassis, the daughter of the Greek shipping magnate Stavros Livanos, who was just as important as her husband Aristotle Onassis, had been educated in England and the United States and spoke fluent English, and I always got on very well with her.
Onassis had gone to spectacular lengths to impress her. He once raced past Tina in Oyster Bay, Long Island, in a speedboat, carrying a banner with the letters T.I.L.Y. (Tina I love you). Onassis also gave her a gold bracelet with a gold coin that read Saturday, 7 p.m. 17 April 1943, T.I.L.Y.. When she asked what the inscription meant, Onassis said: "That was the day I fell in love with you." Tina was only 14 years old at the time. Although Onassis was rather small in stature, he exuded an obvious masculinity that attracted women. Many of them described him as the most charming man of their time. In addition to his luxurious lifestyle, it was above all his charismatic charm that made him so popular. Women appreciated his attentiveness and the feeling of being unique.
This must also have been the case for the opera diva Maria Callas. A friendship developed between them during a trip on the Christina. Together with her husband and impresario Giovanni Meneghini, an Italian millionaire, they were invited on a three-week cruise through the Gulf of Corinth with Sir Winston and Lady Clementine Churchill and a few other guests. Shortly after leaving Monaco, they ran into bad weather. Most of the guests on board became seasick and had to stay in their cabins. The only exceptions were La Callas and Onassis, who were left alone on deck for many hours, especially at night. On her return, Maria confessed to her husband that she had fallen in love with Onassis. Friends said that La Callas was the right partner for Onassis, but although she left her husband, she never married Onassis.
First-class luxury awaited the passengers on board the Christina. The ship, originally a Canadian frigate, was converted into an exclusive luxury yacht by Howaldtswerke. Onassis insisted that all modern conveniences, including the latest air conditioning and electronic equipment, be installed. In addition, a cinema, a sick bay and an operating theatre with X-ray facilities were built.
Onassis himself resided in a magnificent three-room suite on the Christina. Above his Louis XV desk hung a painting by El Greco, flanked by two golden swords – gifts from Ibn Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia. In the bathrooms, golden taps in the shape of dolphins adorned the washbasins. Each of the guest suites was named after a Greek island and individually designed by a different artist. The Chios stateroom was reserved exclusively for Churchill and featured a customised night reading lamp above the bed. All cabins were equipped with telephones for 24-hour room service and even allowed transatlantic calls.
The swimming pool on the aft deck of the Christina was a real showpiece. It was covered with a mosaic depicting a scene from Greek mythology: the Bull of Minos – a copy of the floor in the Palace of Minos in Knossos. At the touch of a button, the pool could be lowered to a depth of 2.5 metres and then filled with warm seawater. When required, it was transformed into a 15 square metre dance floor. Aristotle Onassis once surprised Winston Churchill by lowering the floor while Churchill was sitting there. In retrospect, Churchill was amused by the joke, although he initially feared taking an unwanted bath.
The Louis XV-style dining room was decorated with four murals by the French artist Marcel Vertés. In the games room there was a large fireplace made of lapis lazuli, Onassis' favourite stone, and in one corner stood a grand piano. Among the paintings in the library and playroom were portraits of Tina and the children Christina and Alexander. When Winston Churchill gave Onassis one of his paintings as a gift, it was given pride of place in the reception room.
A variety of aperitifs and liqueurs were on offer in the cosy bar. The bar stools were upholstered in white whale leather. When Onassis saw a female guest sitting on one of these stools, he liked to joke: "I hope you don't mind, but you happen to be sitting on the genitals of a giant whale."
Onassis frequently invited celebrities on board the Christina and to gala dinners in Monte Carlo. He favoured Hollywood stars such as Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Gary Cooper, John Wayne and Sammy Davis Jr. His guests were cosmopolitan, and his parties were also attended by aristocratic guests. Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Savoy, her sister Maria Pia with her husband Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, the Maharanee of Baroda, the Rainiers, former King Peter of Yugoslavia and his wife Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark or Princess Aly Khan were among them. Of course, important personalities from the shipping and oil business were also present.
The publicity he received through his connections to famous personalities certainly helped him with his business projects. As soon as he made an interesting contact, he used his entire fortune, his luxurious boat and his famous friends to negotiate complex contracts with persuasive charm.
I often had the pleasure of being on board the Christina when Aristotle Onassis organised one of these lavish, unforgettable parties. As one of the few photographers allowed on board, I was free to take pictures. We had a gentlemen's agreement, so to speak. Onassis and Tina appreciated my work and respected me. They saw the photos in the magazines and never objected to any of them.
The evening on board always began with cocktails served at the edge of the swimming pool and in the games room. Onassis did not prefer fancy drinks, but his favourite Greek beverages: ouzo and mezés. He was a master at making every guest feel welcome. Even when the yacht was overcrowded, he found a moment for everyone. He moved between his guests, paying just as much attention to the pretty mistress of a businessman as to a rich industrialist with whom he was negotiating business deals. He was even diplomatic enough to speak to his arch-rival and brother-in-law Niarchos.
Aristotle Onassis' wife Tina played a central role at these brilliant receptions. However, she eventually had enough of her husband's addiction to publicity and the endless high life that had become an essential part of his life. The liaison with Maria Callas and several other affairs eventually led to Tina filing for divorce. She explained the breakdown of their marriage by saying: "I always liked simple things, but Ari began to favour extravagance. He was a wonderful person, but after he took over in Monte Carlo, his success in high society spoilt him and ruined our life together."
When Onassis met Winston Churchill, he knew that this was the most important meeting of his life. The two men met through Churchill's son Randolph, who was a friend of Onassis. Sir Winston accepted an invitation to lunch with Onassis in Monte Carlo and the two took an instant liking to each other. That day began a friendship that lasted until Churchill's death.
Onassis was so concerned about Churchill's well-being that once, when he was expected on the Christina, he lay down on the bed in Sir Winston's cabin. He then had the chief engineer run the engines at different speeds to find the cruising speed that caused the least vibration.
Churchill always brought his budgie Toby with him to the Riviera. One day, the parakeet decided to enjoy the Mediterranean air and flew away. Churchill was so depressed that Onassis organised a search operation, not only in Monte Carlo, but along the entire coast. The police and fire brigade were mobilised and Onassis nearly went mad and didn't even go to bed while he led the search operation. Fortunately, the budgerigar got tired and was found 20 kilometres away near Nice.